1. High School Restructuring Cincinnati Public Schools

2. Five Low Performing Neighborhood High Schools 4-year Cohort Groups had graduation rates from 15% to 65%

3. Background Board of Education Appointed Committee of Parents, Teachers, and Administrators to Make Recommendations in 1999 Restructuring the comprehensive schools into small schools of 600 or Less Create schools around themes such as College Prep or Information Technology Received 2.4 Million Dollar Small Learning Communities Grant from Federal Government Received 2.9 Million Dollar Grant from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

4. Report Card Ratings of Restructured High Schools SchoolAugust 2003 Report Card RatingAugust 2004 Report Card Rating Aiken Public Service Learning-No rating Aiken University-Continuous Improvement Aiken TraditionalAcademic Emergency EntrepreneurshipAcademic EmergencyContinuous Improvement Robert A. Taft InformationAcademic Emergency Virtual High SchoolContinuous Improvement Western Hills Design TechAcademic EmergencyContinuous Improvement Western Hills UniversityAcademic EmergencyEffective Western Hills TraditionalAcademic EmergencyContinuous Improvement Withrow InternationalAcademic WatchContinuous Improvement Withrow UniversityAcademic WatchExcellent Withrow TraditionalAcademic EmergencyContinuous Improvement Woodward Career Tech-No Rating Woodward TraditionalAcademic Emergency

5. Indicators Where Schools Showed Improvement After Restructuring All schools for which 9 th Grade Proficiency Test Passing Rate at grade 10 comparison is possible showed improvement in passing rate on all tests Credits earned by grade level up at most of the schools

6. Western Hills University High School Rated “Effective” on the 2003-04 State Report Card

7. Administrative Challenges and Opportunities The Complexity of Change “The issue is not that individual teachers and schools do not innovate and change all the time. They do. The problem is with the kinds of changes that occur in the educational system, their quality, and the random nature of the initiative.”

8. Mistakes with Change Complacency – Create a sense of urgency that is at a high level, but not so overwhelming that staff lose enthusiasm Collaboration – A critical component to meaningful change is to have staff involved in the change process – the powerful force of tradition will overcome a competent and charismatic leader if staff is not apart of the decision-making process Mission & Vision – Assists in alignment, direction, and inspires the actions of staff members. Without this, staff members will “do their own thing”.

9. Instructional Initiatives Ohio Graduation Test Success Credit Recovery Dual Enrollment Seminar

10. Community Students Parents Community Partners

11. G raduation R eally A chieves D reams To ensure a quality public school education for all children in economically disadvantaged communities so that the high school graduation rate increases and graduates are prepared to enter and be successful in college

12. Project GRAD Cincinnati’s Structural & Process Components Feeder pattern reform Local non-profit to facilitate reforms Use of data to drive strategic use of resources National technical assistance from Project GRAD USA Learning & Support Visit process Multiple layers of program support/coaches – Targeting teachers and principals Use of existing resources in the school/house.

13. Scholarship Program & Campus Family Support is the Cornerstone of Project GRAD Cincinnati Components are: Walk for Success GRAD College Scholarships Additional Support Services

14. Framework for Summer Programs in Project GRAD

15. Services Successfully Implemented at the High School Four successful “Walk For Success” to ninth graders houses. 600 homes visited with 68% scholarship agreements signed. Two successful Summer Institutes held on University of Cincinnati campus and Cincinnati State & Technical College campus. Three successful Summer Bridge programs for rising ninth graders held on the Western Hills University High School Campus. Four successful college awareness days in schools K-12 Nine college tours have occurred for high school students Parent University established on Western Hills University High School campus.

16. Facilitator Restructured High Schools Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

17. Manager Facilitate Development of Small Schools – Foster Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships – Collaborate with school based, instructional support, and central office personnel. Facilitate Communication – Gates Foundation – Schools – District – Community Manage Gates Foundation Grant

18. Instructional Coach Facilitate Implementation of Instructional Initiatives Act as a Mentor Coordinate Professional Development  Gates Foundation support of professional development  Grantee Meetings  Practitioners Forums  School Based Sessions  Institutes

19. State Report Card Rating 2002-03 State Report Card Rating: Academic Emergency (1 of 6 state indicators met) 2003-04 State Report Card Rating: Effective (5 of 6 state indicators met)

20. Student Test Scores Measurable Progress for the 2003-04 school year on the above goals were as follows: – Increase student test scores by 10% in all five areas of the Ohio Proficiency Test: 2002-03 2003-04 (+/-) Reading72.6%90.0%+17.4% Writing79.1%90.0%+10.9% Citizenship63.6%94.2%+30.6% Math37.1%74.2%+37.1% Science44.3%85.8%+41.5%

21. Discipline Reduce by 10% the percentage Out of School Suspensions & Expulsion 2002-03 Out of School Suspensions (270 total students)450 - (21.10%) Expulsions (270 total students)24 - (1.13%) 2003-04 Out of School Suspensions (400 total students)298 - (7.0%) Expulsions (400 total students)6 - (0.14%)

22. Attendance – Increase school attendance rate of students by 5%: 2002-032003-04% of Increase Attendance Rate 83.1%95.1%+12.0%

23. Western Hills University High School We are what we repeatedly do. Therefore Excellence is not an act, but a habit!